Adeste Fideles (Be present, faithful ones)
by soulgyrl53
Summary: A Christmas story. A bit of background, I have tried to piece together a timeline for "all things" until the time, approximately, when Scully gave William up for adoption. So I'm going with the notion that "all things" took place around September and this story takes place about 3 months later, Scully is yet to learn she's pregnant. Mulder's abduction comes soon after Christmas.


Dana Scully quickly wrapped a towel around her small frame and hurried for the ringing phone.

"Hello," she answered, slightly out of breath.

"Uh, Scully? It's…it's me. Did I catch you at a bad time? You sound sort of …winded."

"Mulder…no…no… its fine. I was ah, just getting out of the bathtub. What's up?"

"Well, I know you mentioned something about going to your mom's later this evening, but I thought maybe…if you'd like to… that is…we could hang out for a bit…or grab a beer. I mean, I don't want to intrude on your family plans…"

"No…no Mulder it's okay. Actually we've changed our plans. Charles can't get in until next week now so we're waiting on him. And yeah, I mean, it's Christmas Eve, or will be, so… sure. Why don't you just swing by here…and bring the beer. I was going to decorate my tree tonight; you can help."

"Okay then. See you about, oh six-thirty?"

"Yes. Sounds good… see you then."

* * *

Scully had just dragged the box of Christmas tree ornaments from the closet when the expected knock on the door came. She opened it to face a smiling Mulder.

"Merry Christmas, Scully. Well almost." He handed her the beer and she took it and headed towards the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas to you, too. Did you eat? I do have some left over lasagna in the fridge that probably should get eaten."

Mulder was already digging in the ornament box and extracted a string of lights.

"No, I haven't...and that sounds…good"

"Great." She replied. While Scully was in the kitchen, Mulder proceeded plugging in several of the light strands to see which ones still worked. Unfortunately, only one of the five did.

"Ah Scully, bad news…your lights are no good…at least most of them."

"Damn, I was going to pick some up yesterday and totally forgot," she hollered out from the kitchen. "Well, we'll just have to make do with what's left. Anyway, here, dinner's ready. What did people do before microwaves, huh? Actually, I'm going to run to the bathroom first; seems like I've been doing a lot of that lately."

While Scully was absent, Mulder quickly opened the door and retrieved a bag he had left sitting in the hallway. He hid it in the corner of the room by the wardrobe behind a large Colocasia plant.

Scully returned and the two sat down to their beer and lasagna. They reminisced about a couple of the cases they had worked on throughout the year before Mulder steered the conversation to a more seasonal topic.

"So Scully, what did you ask Santa to bring you for Christmas? A new car? Diamonds? A month's vacation away from me or anything remotely x file related?"

Scully laughed and almost spit out the beer she was in the middle of swallowing.

"Funny, Mulder. No I just want good health, a reasonable amount of happiness…..and world peace. Isn't that what we're supposed to wish for at this time of the year…world peace?"

Mulder bit his bottom lip. "Yeah, well. Been there, done that. Didn't exactly work out for me," he said referring to his well-meaning, but misguided attempt at that very thing with the help of a jinniyah.

Scully smiled at the memory. "Right…yeah I guess not. Not that I remember it…exactly. Anyway…what about you Mulder…what's on _your_ list this year?"

"Actually, Scully, I uh…I got one of my Christmas wishes already. And, ah...another one was that I wished you'd… be …home tonight. I'm sorry I suppose that's pretty selfish and not very…considerate of me and in keeping with the seasonal tradition of _giving_ …wanting you to be here instead of with your family. It's just that…well…" His voice trailed off and Scully reached over, took one of his hands, and kissed it.

"Hey, it's okay. Actually, this turned out good for both of us. I guess no one wants to be alone at Christmas. Just don't ask me to go chasing spirits with you this evening."

Her partner groaned at this. "Yeah…"

Mulder, besides my mom and brothers, you're the only other person I'd want to spend the holidays with. And if we're through eating, we could move into the living room."

He smiled at her then, and his heart was full of gratitude. Gratitude that fate...or god…or karma...or…whatever, had seen fit to bring this woman into his life.

Scully stood. "I'm just going to put the plates in the sink. I've got all the time in the world to wash them later."

"No…no. Scully. Why don't you go get the rest of whatever decorations you want out and I'll at least rinse everything off and wipe up and join you in a minute."

"Wow, Mulder, I like this domesticated side of you…thank you!"

"Hmm, well Scully, I suppose there are still a _few_ sides of me you haven't seen yet."

Dana blushed. _Oh, I think I've seen most of them…_

The couple spent the next hour grappling with ornaments, and garland, and how best to utilize the one working strand of lights so that it covered the entire tree. When everything was set to Scully's liking, they turned off all other sources of illumination, save one small table lamp, and sat on the floor in front of the tree admiring their handy work.

Mulder placed his hand on the small of Scully's back and caressed her there. She closed her eyes and sighed in contentment at this simple gesture.

"This…all of this… is nice, Mulder, really nice."

He moved his hand up to the nape of her neck and started a slow massage. "Yeah I'd say all we need now is a roaring fire and some hot buttered rum."

She chuckled and turned, looking up to face him. The glow of the tree's few twinkling lights danced across her auburn hair and cheek and he was again struck by how simply, yet elegantly, beautiful she was. Their relationship had taken on a new denotation over the last few months. On the night of his return from that depressing failure of an overseas trip in search of non-existent crop circles, they had added on to their list of designations for each other: partner, colleague, friend…lover.

Mulder was still at somewhat of a loss as how to process this. He felt both brazen and shy as a schoolboy all at once. He understood that he had already earned her trust, her loyalty, and her willingness to work in sync with him as one. Now, he felt that the giving of her physical _self,_ given so fully to him, was the greatest of gifts. _Gifts._ The word jolted him back to the present. His partner was still sitting there, apparently mesmerized by the performance of his hand, which in addition to massaging her neck, had also migrated upwards to entangle itself in her hair and trace the outline of her delicate ear…seemingly of its own accord.

He spoke. "While I'm reluctant to break up this tranquil little scene," and here he leaned down and in so that he could whisper directly into her ear, "I have it on good authority that Ole' Saint Nick himself stopped in here earlier this evening."

She turned to face him and started giggling.

"Oh…really? Well that's funny because I don't have a chimney and, uh, Mulder, no one's knocked on my door tonight, besides _you_ , so…unless he snuck into my apartment when I was otherwise engaged…or _you,_ let him in when I wasn't looking… I uh….I don't see how that's possible."

"No, no I'm sure there are presents around here somewhere." Mulder stood and proceeded to look around the tree area. He walked over to the wardrobe.

"Wait…what…." He reached into the corner behind the Colocasia and withdrew his bag. "Why, what do we have here?"

He walked back over to where Scully was seated and placed the bag in front of her.

"Now," she started, controlled amusement on her face, "I _know_ you did _not_ have that bag in your hands when you walked in here, so how…."

Mulder shook his head in the negative. "Now…now I told you…the fat man was here, Scully."

She snickered out loud. "Well, we're very … _wily_ tonight aren't we?"

He gave a snort, grin on his face, mischief dancing in his eyes. She looked up at him and the giggling started again.

He sat down beside her and kissed her forehead. "Now…let's see," he remarked as he pulled out the first item. "Try this."

She took his offering and began to unwrap it. A green and red box held a pair of mugs. Scully took the first one from the box and found it boasted a gingerbread girl pattern with "Hers" emblazoned upon it. The second was much the same, except for the gingerbread boys and the "His" title. There was also a porcelain tea-ball proclaiming that "Christmas memories warm the heart" across its screw-on lid. She held the mugs up, one in each hand, and faced Mulder with a smirk and upraised, questioning eyebrows.

He pointed. "I...ah…thought, ya know. In case you ever wanted to invite me over for another …cup of tea… What? You don't like them?"

She noted he looked a little crestfallen and shook her head. "No…no, they're very…cute. I Just...I guess I'm kind of ...surprised, that's all."

"Well, can't forget part two," he uttered, reaching back into the bag.

Scully noted this gift was wrapped in the Sunday comics. "Hmmm…that's very...unique."

"And very economical," he countered.

A box of jasmine tea lay beneath these wrappings.

"You know, to go with the mugs," he exclaimed, using both pointer fingers for emphasis.

"Well then, it's a date. I will definitely have you over for a tea party in the near future."

He laughed as he extracted his last offering.

"Wait," she announced, "I've already unwrapped two and you haven't gotten a thing…yet. I _do_ have something for you, Mulder. I'll go get it and you can open it before I do this one."

He watched her scramble away and sent out another prayer of thanks to the universe. He had to believe that she was apportioned to him for his faithfulness in his quest for the truth. Why else would a woman so impassioned, so deliberate, so empathetic, so …utterly wonderful, be _willing_ to become a part of his eccentric, topsy-turvy, tumultuous world? _… Because she loves you, Fox._ He desperately wanted to believe that.

She returned carrying a gift bag and he noted that she had changed into navy blue pajama bottoms and an oversized gray sweatshirt.

"I hope you don't mind. This is usually the time of the evening I start getting comfortable…if I'm home that is."

"No, Scully that's fine…fine. I'm not exactly dressed for a night out on the town myself," he commented, noting his scruffy jeans and faded button-down shirt.

"Well, anyway here..." She handed him the gift bag. "I'm sorry I wasn't as a…creative as you were with the wrapping."

He smiled. "I'm just flattered you remembered me. Now, what could it be," he said as he took it from her. "Whoa, this is heavy! What's in here Scully, a five pound lump of coal? Really, you shouldn't have!"

She rolled her eyes. "Just open it Mulder!"

He pulled the layers of tissue paper out of the bag and withdrew a silver toned container. It was a three pound canister of sunflower seeds.

"Ohhh baby… you know what I like," he said in a sing-song voice. "But seriously, thank you Scully. Now, last one for you."

"Three for one, I feel like a cheapskate, Mulder."

"Just consider it a thank you for….everything."

The last present was a leaded glass candle holder exquisitely etched with a portrait of the Madonna and Christ Child. A bayberry scented candle accompanied it.

"Oh...Mulder… it's beautiful! Let me go get a lighter."

"No need," he said, pulling a pack of matches out of his shirt pocket.

They moved onto the couch and Scully lit the candle, placing it on the coffee table in front of them.

She turned to Mulder and brushed a few wayward strands of hair off of his cheek.

"You know, when mom called to say we were postponing our Christmas I was really disappointed…." Here she trailed off.

"And… now?" Mulder questioned.

She met his eyes. "And now…I couldn't be happier. This is the most relaxing evening I've had in a long time. Thank you."

"No," he guffawed, "thank you! If you'd have blown me off, I probably would have just stayed home eating three day old pizza, singing 'Jingle Bells' to my Molly's, and crying into my beer."

She reached over and kissed him on the cheek.

Mulder scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She responded by laying her head on his. They spent several moments sitting in a comfortable silence, enjoying the peace and warm presence of each other.

Then Mulder looked down and noticed she was absent-mindedly holding and stroking the small gold cross that had accompanied her since childhood. It set Mulder to thinking.

"Scully?"

"Umm, hmm?"

"What do you _really_ think about Christmas…I mean…you know the _Christ_ part? You came to me with that scientific mind and that gold cross around your neck. How _did_ you ever learn to reconcile your faith into your career when you became a scientist? You'd think the two would be at odds with each other. That saying someone was a 'scientific Christian' was an oxymoron, like saying someone was a 'wise fool'."

She pondered this for a minute before answering.

"I guess…I guess I put my faith on the back burner for a while, but it was always… _there_. And I think we've had this conversation before, or something like it. Do you remember Kevin Kryder?"

"Ah...yeah, stigmata boy. You said that you believed God could create miracles."

She reached one hand up and stroked his cheek. "Yeah. And that perhaps that's what miracles are: faith realized. You know, Mulder…that's how I see it with you. During the Kryder incident you were so quick to brush the whole thing off as a…a hoax, the workings of unscrupulous pranksters, religious fanatics."

"And you weren't, I know."

"Mulder, how's that any different from the beliefs you have…or had… over the years? _You_ have taken almost all of our cases on faith. When no one else believed, when everyone else thought it wasn't possible, or just plain…ridiculous… _you_ believed. And that experience with your sister in the California field…. You don't believe _that_ was a miracle? You and I don't always see the same things, sometimes something's aren't revealed to both of us. But I believe we have both seen what we needed to see. And I would categorize that under faith."

Mulder kissed the top of her head and snuggled his face into her peppermint-scented hair.

"You know, Scully, when you walked into my office that first day all those years ago and I showed you the markings on those kids from Oregon, you were so adamant that there was a scientific explanation that it was almost hard to believe that underneath that rational, analytical veneer was a cross-wearing, miracle-believing woman of Christian faith."

"Wow, I didn't realize I came across so…Teflon coated."

"That's just it, you didn't." He closed his hand over hers and the cross. "And although I don't think it really _registered_ with me at the time, I came to realize that it was because of _this,_ " he said yanking gently on the cross. "If you were still wearing this, then deep down you must have possessed in you _somewhere_ a belief system that went past…or at least was equal to…all your scientific education. Hence, your belief that God could, and would, perform miracles. A sort of platform to fall back on when and if the science _didn't_ work. I think that's why you initially stuck by me, Scully. You were more in tune to my 'wild ideas' than you wanted to let yourself believe. I mean, you could have run away from Oregon screaming, asked for reassignment…but you didn't"

She nestled into him a little deeper. "You're right. I was intrigued, for sure. And something inside of me _wanted_ to believe. I realize that now. Again, I think we've had this conversation…about choices anyway…or at least we tried to."

"Yes, yes we did...until you fell asleep. That talk of signs, and one path, and, yes, making the right choices. All leading to the here and now. And now this… with God and faith and science…. And there ya have it, Scully. I guess we're just a pair of faith-based believers with a healthy dose of paranoia and the fantastical thrown in for good measure."

She buried her face in his side and chuckled.

"Fox…."

He raised his eyebrows. "Yeessss…."

"I have pair of large sweatpants somewhere in my closet…and probably a t-shirt that would fit you."

"Okay….meaning?"

"Meaning that if you _really don't_ have anywhere else to be until tomorrow afternoon….."

"I don't," he interrupted. "What time is morning mass?"

"Seven am I believe, why?"

"So, we could hit mass and still make it back here in time for a Christmas morn tea party…"

"I have a box of homemade cookies Bill and Tara gave me."

"Then Scully, I'd say it's a date."

"A date," she agreed. "And, ah…what did you mean when you said you'd already received one of your Christmas wishes?"

"Um…that would be…um…on the night we had that _other_ talk about choices…and paths….and….you know… _that_ night."

Scully looked up at him and he could see that she was blushing slightly. "Yes," was all she said before snuggling back down into his warmth.

"But… you knew that already, didn't you?" He teased, lightly jiggling her shoulder.

She snickered in way of reply.

"Before I go digging around for those sweats, could we stay here for a while…just like this?"

"Nowhere else I'd rather be, Scully. Merry Christmas."

She raised herself up then and kissed him fully and deeply. And when at last they parted she replied, "Merry Christmas, Mulder…merry Christmas."

The End…..


End file.
